Hasta La Gadget!

Qualcomm doesn’t want to reserve the fastest wireless technology for its highest-end processors: it’s launching a new quad-core edition of its Snapdragon 400 chip, the MSM8926, with both 3G and LTE built-in. The 1.2GHz, Cortex-A7 part will handle the faster wireless speeds alongside 42Mbps HSPA+ and China-friendly TD-SCDMA. It will also continue to support shorter-range technology like 802.11ac WiFi and Miracast streaming. The newer Snapdragon should arrive late this year alongside a matching Reference Design tablet.

In the shorter term, the company is also introducing 7- and 10-inch versions of the Reference Design tablet that will be based on earlier, 3G-only versions of the Snapdragon 400 (the MSM8230 and MSM8030). These variants are targeted at developing world markets, and should be display on the Computex show floor this week — naturally, we’re hoping to get a first-hand look.

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile

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Source: Qualcomm

Over the last year, some key manufacturers have opted to reduce their dependence on major trade shows, instead deciding to launch new devices at blowout private events. That’s not the case at Computex. As the home of substantial technology players such as Acer, ASUS and HTC, Taiwan is no stranger to innovation. Its capital city, Taipei, has played host to this annual IT show for more than three decades, and judging by the activity today, the event remains vitally important to the country, and the industry as a whole. We had a chance to check out a tremendous number of new products on the first day alone, but we’ll continue delivering news and hands-ons throughout the week. For a look at what we saw on Monday in Taipei, click past the break. Then check out our event hub for a complete look at Computex 2013.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets

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Some of ASUS’ big Computex 2013 launches today involved the latest 802.11ac WiFi flavor, and since you’ll need to feed them with a router packing the same tech, ASUS has also announced one of those: the RT-AC68U. The company claims it’s the first dual-band 802.11ac router with AC1900 data rates up to 1900 Mbit/s, thanks to AiRadar beamforming, which helps bring a stronger connection and 150 percent better range, too (if accurate). You’ll also be able to share files between ASUS routers with USB-attached drives thanks to a router-to-router sync mode, negating the need for a switched-on PC or other device. There’s no word on pricing or availability, but the previous RT-AC66U flagship ran about $200 or so — so we’d be surprised if it came in under that figure.

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless, ASUS

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It’s fair to say that Haswell doesn’t do much for desktop enthusiasts — a few percentage points of compute performance perhaps, but nothing like the major improvements for mobile SKUs and integrated graphics. Nevertheless, those questing after every extra FLOP probably ought to take note that ASUS is about to bring out a Haswell-equipped version of its ROG TYTAN desktop. We have no pricing or availability yet, just an official video that popped up on ASUS’s official YouTube channel during the weekend. It promises a water-cooled Core i7-4770K with one-button overclocking to 4.1GHz, alongside an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680. That choice for graphics seems a bit strange, given the launch of the GTX 770 and 780 last week — but it’s possible the spec will be updated, or that more expensive options will have the newer cards. We won’t know either way until ASUS puts out some info pricing and availability, and we’ll update this post if that happens.

Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, ASUS

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Source: ASUS (YouTube)

If you thought ASUS was done announcing new products here at Computex, get ready for at least one more surprise. The company just unveiled the Transformer Book Trio, a dockable tablet that can run Windows and Android. At first glance, it’s visually quite similar to the Transformer Book we just reviewed, except this time it has 11.6-inch, 1080p screen. And, you know, twice as many operating systems. If you’re wondering how that works, there’s a physical hotkey allowing you to switch OSs, similar to the setup on the Transformer AiO, which was announced last year at this same show. It’s important to note, though, that that hotkey will only work if you have the tablet latched into the keyboard dock; once you unplug the tablet it will only run Android Jelly Bean.

Spec-wise, dual operating systems amounts to dual processors, with a fourth-generation Core i7-4500U processor powering the Windows 8 experience, and a 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 chip handling Android Jelly Bean. In fact, Intel EVP Tom Kilroy made an appearance at ASUS’ press event in Taipei to help formally introduce the product. Continuing on, dual OSs also means multiple batteries: the package includes a 33Wh cell as well as a 19Wh one. As for storage, you’ve got a 1TB HDD inside the dock, and 64GB of flash storage inside the tablet proper. If you’re looking for a price, ASUS isn’t planning on announcing that today, but a company rep did confirm the Trio is slated for a Q3 launch. For now, you’ll find a hands-on video and few first impressions after the break.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

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